Role & Responsibility Charting (RACI) - StarChapter

Role & Responsibility Charting (RACI)

By Michael L Smith and James Erwin See RACI Template too. By Sandra Diaferio

Role & Responsibility Charting

OVERVIEW

Definition

Responsibility Charting is a technique for identifying functional areas where there are process ambiguities, bringing the differences out in the open and resolving them through a cross-functional collaborative effort.

Responsibility Charting enables managers from the same or different organizational levels or programs to actively participate in a focused and systematic discussion about process related descriptions of the actions that must be accomplished in order to deliver a successful end product or service.

Approach Definitions

Responsibility Charting is a way of systematically clarifying relationships pertaining to:

1. Communication or actions required to deliver an acceptable product r or service

2. Functional roles or departmental positions (no personal names). 3. Participation expectations assigned to roles by decisions or actions.

Process Functional Functional Functional Functional Functional

Model

Role

Role

Role

Role

Role

Decisions or Actions

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Role & Responsibility Charting

THE RESPONSIBILITY CHARTING THEORY

Managers and supervisors are not accountable for everything in their organization. Responsibility charting ensures accountability is placed with the person who really can be accountable for specific work. Often this results in accountabilities for actions being moved down to the most appropriate level.

Everyone has some process role in their job. Because of differing perceptions, one person's view of their role may be quite different than another's. Role perceptions held today will change tomorrow even though the job activities remain the same. There are three (3) basic assumptions in any role. They are:

1. ROLE CONCEPTION:

What a person thinks his/her job is and how the person has been taught to do it. His/her thinking may well be influenced by many false assumptions (e.g., misleading titles, training received from a predecessor during his or her last week on the job, etc.)

2. ROLE EXPECTATION:

What others in the organization think the person is responsible for, and how he/she should carry out those responsibilities. Others' ideas may also be influenced by incorrect information (e.g., the way it was at a former job, priority changes, assumptions, inconsistent messages from leadership, etc.). The role expectation is usually based on the output of results expected from the role.

3. ROLE BEHAVIOR:

What a person actually does in carrying out the job.

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Role & Responsibility Charting

Responsibility charting reconciles ROLE CONCEPTION with the ROLE EXPECTATION and thus, ROLE BEHAVIOR becomes more predictable and productive!. Ideally, what a person thinks his or her hob is, what others expect of that job, and how the job is actually performed are all the same. The "RACI" process is a tool to lock all elements in place. Working with other "process providers" provides a real time consensus that clarifies "who is to do what, with whom and when. This is of great benefit for overall process performance.

A substandard product or process can often be tracked back to a fault in the chart. Common faults in the chart include: an action not included on the chart (that should be), a position failing to perform as assigned or a missing or misapplied responsibility code. The highly visible and collaborative nature of the charting process promotes rapid and effective updates/corrections as well as better understanding by those involved in the work.

DIAGNOSING THE NEED

The need for managers and supervisors to clarify roles and responsibilities does not end after the Responsibility Charting process is complete; it must be an ongoing activity. Managers need to acquire a "sixth sense" so they can recognize the symptoms of role confusion and determine when the process needs to be repeated. Perception "drift" is natural. The identification and elimination of "drift" is important to the company's overall well being as it relates to cost, service and quality.

The symptoms of role confusion are:

? Concern over who makes decisions ? Blaming of others for not getting the job done ? Out of balance workloads ? Lack of action because of ineffective communications ? Questions over who does what ? A "we-they" attitude ? A "not sure, so take no action" attitude ? Idle time ? Creation of and attention to non-essential work to fill time ? A reactive work environment ? Poor morale ? Multiple "stops" needed to find an answer to a question

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Role & Responsibility Charting

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES CHARTING DEFINITIONS

RESPONSIBLE....."R" "The Doer"

The "doer" is the individual(s) who actually complete the task. The "doer" Is responsible for action/implementation. Responsibility can be shared. The degree of responsibility is determined by the individual with the "A".

ACCOUNTABLE....."A" "The Buck Stops Here" The accountable person is the individual who is ultimately answerable for the activity or decision. This includes "yes" or "no" authority and veto power. Only one "A" can be assigned to an action.

CONSULT......"C" "In the Loop"

The consult role is individual(s) (typically subject matter experts) to be consulted prior to a final decision or action. This is a predetermined need for two-way communication. Input from the designated position is required.

INFORM....."I" "Keep in the Picture" This is individual (s) who needs to be informed after a decision or action is taken. They may be required to take action as a result of the outcome. It is a one-way communication.

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